


A SpookCATular Halloween!

by BohemianBeth



Series: Queen one-shots! [2]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Cats, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Cute, Fluff and Angst, Full Moon, Halloween, Happy Ending, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, One Shot, Werewolf, curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 12:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20976281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BohemianBeth/pseuds/BohemianBeth
Summary: "Freddie, are you really a werewolf?""No, darling, don't be ridiculous. Absolutely not! I would never transform into an oversized dog." Delilah perched at Freddie's feet and mewled for attention. He picked her up. "Cats are so much more majestic and regal than dogs. It may be a curse, but I prefer it this way over becoming any other kind of creature.""Don't you mean purrfer?" Roger teased."Oh quiet, dear! Don't make me scratch you again."ORHalloween lands on a full moon, and Freddie decides to show John his curse.





	A SpookCATular Halloween!

**Author's Note:**

> It's Spooky Season everyone! I plan on writing another Four Magical Misfits one-shot that's slightly less depressing than the last one (sorry about that) about John celebrating Halloween with Brian before they rescued Freddie and Roger. But this is something completely different. Prepare yourself for something scary and fluffy! Okay maybe not that scary, but it will certainly be fluffy. 😉 You can read it as any ships you want or no ships at all. With the exception of Freddie and Mary, I've left it open to interpretation.
> 
> Also keep in mind that just a quick Wikipedia overview of Zoroastrian gods and goddess is not going to garner the most accurate results, but I thought it would be interesting to tie in some of Freddie's family faith into this story. I'm sorry if it's inaccurate or offensive.

_John's POV_

I had been with the band for about a month now, and I was quickly warming up to their quirks. Freddie being an over-the-top diva calling everyone boys and girls alike "dear" or "darling". Roger and Brian bickering all day long over the most trivial of things. Roger obsessing over cars and throwing things when he got angry. Brian lecturing us like a father and telling us all about space whenever he got a chance. And of course Freddie's love of cats. It all became routine, and I found that I was enjoying my place in this new family. I was never very popular, so it was nice to have such good friends who were so warm and welcoming to a newcomer like me. It made me feel special knowing that the trio had been through about a dozen bassists before finding me. Sometimes I questioned why they kept me around (I didn't even sing like them and they were all so talented), but I didn't complain.

"No, no, Bri! That's still too bloody slow!" Roger interrupted again. Despite working for hours, we hadn't gotten past the song's opening chords.

"It's a ballad, Roger. It's supposed to be slow." Brian shook his head.

"A _rock _ballad!"

Freddie stood up from the piano and stretched sticking his butt in the air like the way a cat would stretch. "How long are you two going to argue before we get to the bit where I get to sing? I'm sure you're boring poor Deaky to tears."

I sat quietly watching everyone and waiting for when they wanted me to perform. I honestly thought they had forgotten I was in the room. As nice as it was for Freddie to recognize me, I had to admit, I did find Brian and Roger's fights to be entertaining. It put me in the mood for popcorn.

"I'm fine." I replied flippantly. "Carry on. It doesn't really matter."

Freddie twitched slightly, the movement reminding me of an excited kitten. "That's brilliant, darling!" He purred softly like a cat. Freddie was an oddball and I loved him for it, but he had been acting even stranger as of a few days ago. "Say it again. Please, please."

"Say what?"

"Carry on, carry on...like nothing really matters? Is that it?"

"Sure I guess." I shrugged. Then I noticed Freddie scrambling with pen and paper. "You're writing that down?"

"Song lyrics, dear. Do you want credit from them? I can list you as my cowriter and you'll get some of my royalties."

"What royalties?" I laughed. "We're playing at student bars. We'd be lucky if we ever got a record deal. Besides, you deserve all the credit for whatever it is you're writing there."

"Mark my words, Deaky, we'll get a record deal and be rich and famous some day!" Freddie proclaimed. "I just know it."

"Well you certainly have the talent worthy of stardom." I was referring to Brian and Roger as well as Freddie, but the two weren't paying attention to our conversation. I looked up at them to find that they were still engaged in a heated argument that somehow culminated in one of Roger's drumsticks getting stuck in Brian's hair. Freddie followed my gaze and rolled his eyes. "What are we going to do with those two?"

"We wouldn't be a band without them." I said.

"We wouldn't be a band without _you, _my dear." Freddie bopped my nose making me laugh. "Stop selling yourself short, darling. We really like you, John both musically and otherwise. You're a great match for Queen. I can only hope that you like us."

"Of course I do, Freddie." I assured him. "You three are my best friends. I know it hasn't been long, but you're like family to me."

Again he purred like a cat showing his affection. "I'm so glad you feel that way, darling. Remember you said those words. I don't think I can go through the heartbreak of having another bassist claim to be my friend and then leave us because..." He trailed off and cast his eyes downward in sadness.

"Why would I leave?" I cried. "Being in this band these past few weeks has been the most fun I've had in my entire life and I mean every word I say."

"It's not you, Deaky." Freddie sighed. "I wouldn't take offense if you did leave. Everyone leaves. My own parents were so ashamed of me they shipped me off to boarding school as early as they could. We haven't been able to keep a bassist because of me. And even my girlfriend, Mary, the love of my life...It was just too much for her and she left too. If it wasn't for my voice, I'm sure Brian and Roger would have ditched me a long time ago as well."

"That's not true, Freddie. We're your friends. We love you." I said. "I don't understand why people would abandon you like that. You may be a sass queen, but you're fun and witty and so caring. You just have to look and see how well you treat your cats to know what a softie you are at heart. How could anyone leave somebody so sweet?"

"There's a reason my cats are the only ones who stay." Freddie said.

"Hallelujah!" Brian exclaimed as he finally untangled the drumstick that was lodged in his hair. "See, Roger, I told you I wouldn't have to do any of that peanut butter BS. That only works for gum."

"I might have to test that out by putting gum in your hair." Roger said sneakily.

Brian's eyes widened in fear. "You wouldn't dare!"

"C'mon, Brimi, it'll be like a science experiment. You love those things. Our hypothesis will be that the peanut butter will get the gum out."

Freddie cleared his throat. "Clearly we aren't being very productive here, so I think we should call it a night, darlings. Roger, drive us back to our flat."

"Sure, but can we stop off at the store first? I'm not sure we have enough Halloween candy."

"We have plenty of candy for tomorrow night. I just bought some yesterday. I doubt you ate it all already." Freddie said.

"Oh no what we have already is for the trick-or-treaters. I wanna buy a big batch of sticky taffy and gummies to put in Brian's hair." Roger said rubbing his hands together evilly.

"I quit. Find a new lead guitarist." Brian said and I honestly couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "John, do you want me to walk you back to your flat? It's dark out."

"I can just drive him back. It's on the way to our flat, and I can drop you off too, Brian." Roger offered.

"I don't trust you." Brian said bluntly. "I'll walk. See you tomorrow!"

"No, darling. We are not letting you walk all by yourself in the dark. I promise I won't let Roger anywhere near your hair." Freddie said.

So we all filed into Roger's car with Freddie in the front and me and Brian in the back, his legs taking up most of the room. "Do you have any plans for Halloween?" I asked as we cruised down the street.

There was a sudden silence in the car as if I had said something offensive.

"Well," Freddie said hesitantly, "Roger and I would love if you came over. Brian usually stops by and we give out candy to the trick or treaters together. It's become a band tradition." His voice quivered as he spoke and he fumbled with the hem of his shirt. It was odd not to see Freddie act confidently. I was usually the anxious one.

"I'd love to." I said.

"Are you sure, Fred?" Roger asked.

"Yes. Deaky is invited." Freddie confirmed. "I think it might work out."

Might work out? It was a Halloween party. Were the boys planning on pranking me? I hated scary movies and things that go bump in the night. This would be my first Halloween alone since moving out, and to be honest I was relieved that I'd be spending it with friends. The alternative would be to return home and deal with my parents pestering me like I was still a child. Either way, I refused to be by myself on the most frightening night of the year.

"We really like you, John." Brian said softly. "We're happy that you're in the band."

I nodded. "I'm happy too. It's been a real joy."

"Just don't screw things up for us. Freddie's been through enough already." Roger said coldly.

"Rog!" Freddie scolded. "Even if Deaky doesn't want to stick around after...you know. It doesn't make it his fault. It's mine."

"What are you going on about?" I questioned.

"Nothing, darling. Everything will make sense tomorrow. Just please come early. At least an hour before the moon rises."

They dropped me off at my flat leaving me feeling thoroughly confused. Why was Freddie so convinced I would leave? And why were they all acting so strange about tomorrow's Halloween festivities? I twisted and turned in my bed until I finally fell asleep.

***

Freddie and Roger's flat was decorated with a picture of a pumpkin taped to their door. Knowing Freddie, I assumed he had something more elaborate in mind but the landlord probably limited what they could do. I knocked on the door and sure enough Freddie greeted me. I expected him to be dressed in a grand costume, but instead, he was simply wearing a pair of neon green sunglasses with a sleeveless t-shirt and skin tight pants. "Welcome, darling!" He ushered me inside.

With a giggle, he plucked the cowboy hat off of my head and put it on his own. "Do I make a good cowboy?"

I reclaimed it so that my costume would be complete. "You make a great cowboy, but not as good as me."

Roger was dressed in drag and there was no surprise that he made a good looking girl. We all teased him for being the prettiest one in the band. It was about time he embraced it. A witch hat covered Brian's thick curls, and he was dressed in all black.

"Et tu, Deaky?" Roger cried.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"We all agreed to dress in drag. I can't be the only one who didn't chicken out." He said.

Before I could say anything, Freddie leapt to my defense. "I never said anything to John. Brian and I told you we would be in drag to prank you."

"It's to get you back for threatening to ruin my hair." Brian said.

"It really is a shame we didn't actually mean it." Freddie said eyeing Brian. "I think you would make a great sexy witch with fishnet stockings."

"Maybe we'll do it next year for real." I said as I pet one the cats who wandered by.

"I hope you'll be here with us next year." Freddie said, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

Meanwhile Roger clicked his tongue and held out a piece of chocolate for the cat to come retrieve. Out of nowhere, Freddie snapped. He hissed and knocked the candy out of Roger's hand. Brian had to hold Freddie back as he swatted at Roger as if he were trying to scratch him.

"Claws are coming out a bit early, Fred." Roger remarked, not taken aback by Freddie's animalistic behavior.

Freddie calmed himself down, giving Brian a reassuring purr to let him go. "Freddie, you haven't changed yet. Use your words." Brian said gently.

"You idiot, Roger!" Freddie scolded. "Chocolate is poisonous to cats. You could've killed my precious Lily. How dare you!"

"Relax, Freddie. I wasn't actually going to feed it to her. I was just trying to get you back for making me look ridiculous in drag."

"You look far from ridiculous, darling. I'd say you look better than all of us." He sounded more like himself, but it was strange to see Freddie switching on and off from this cat mode. I wasn't sure what to make of it. I knew Freddie adored cats and even forced Roger to coexist with his furry friends in their shared flat, but this was going a bit beyond normal cute cat loving behavior. I wondered why I hadn't noticed how feline-like Freddie behaved. It seemed to have only started just a few days ago.

"We have about 30 minutes until moonrise." Brian announced. "Should we start preparing John for what's about to happen?"

"No, no. Remember we tried to explain it to the last bassist before the change occurred? He called us all mad and left before he could even see it happen." Freddie recounted.

"It wouldn't have worked out anyway." Roger dismissed. "That bloke couldn't maintain a beat even if his life depended on it. I'm glad we found Deaky. He's super talented and we like him. But let's not give up our hopes until after...."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I cried. "You guys are scaring me. What the change? What's going to happen?"

"Everything is going to be alright, darling." Freddie said. "Just remember that this doesn't change anything about the band or our friendship. I'm still the same me...I just....On full moons...."

_Ding-Dong!_

"Awfully early for trick or treaters." Freddie composed himself to answer the door and give out candy to the first few kids at the threshold.

One little girl in a princess costume peered inside and waved at us. "I like your cat." She said pointing to Delilah.

"Thank you, darling. You're a lovely, princess, my dear. Here's another piece of candy just because you're so cute. Happy Halloween!"

I couldn't help but smile. "Freddie, you softie. I don't care if you turn into a werewolf during full moons, I won't ever leave you."

"Who said anything about werewolves?" I was taken aback by how defensive Freddie suddenly became.

"Well um we were talking about full moons and changes and I...I guess it's the first thing that came to mind." I laughed at my own silliness. Freddie couldn't be a werewolf. Werewolves weren't real.

"But say I was a werewolf. Would you still treat me the same? Would you still want to be in this band with me even though I'm a monster?

"You're not a monster, Freddie!" Roger blurted.

"Far from it. You're an angel, Fred, and I think John will finally be the bassist who loves you unconditionally like we do, the way you deserve to be loved." Brian said.

My mouth was agape and I tried to shut it so I wouldn't appear cruel. It was true I'd love Freddie regardless because the frontman had welcomed me into the band with open arms and embraced me wholeheartedly. Still the shock was overwhelming. "Freddie, are you really a werewolf?"

"No, darling, don't be ridiculous. Absolutely not! I would never transform into an oversized dog." Delilah perched at Freddie's feet and mewled for attention. He picked her up. "Cats are so much more majestic and regal than dogs. It may be a curse, but I prefer it this way over becoming any other kind of creature."

"Don't you mean purrfer?" Roger teased.

"Oh quiet, dear! Don't make me scratch you again." Freddie threatened, but he got distracted by Delilah as she snuggled against him. "She always gets all clingy like this when I'm about to change. Such a sweetheart wants to comfort her Papa."

The clues were coming together like puzzle pieces, but I still needed a final explanation. "So are you trying to tell me that on full moons, you become a cat?" I couldn't believe that sentence just came out of my mouth. It was absurd. Surely, the boys were playing a practical joke on me and it was all a bluff. But their solemn faces told me otherwise.

"Y-You're crazy!"

"Go ahead, darling. You can call me crazy and run away like everyone else. I didn't expect you to stay. I thought you'd be different, but I was only fooling myself." Freddie sighed.

On the verge of tears, his deep brown eyes looked so sad and betrayed. There was no way Freddie could fake that kind of reaction to dejection.

"What? No! I'm not leaving! I-I'm just trying to understand." I said.

"You've got 10 minutes left, Freddie." Brian warned. "How are you feeling?"

"No different than usual." He replied. "Come, John. Let's sit on the couch. I'll try to explain as much as I can before I meow...meow...Sorry. The closer I get to the full meow...the meow feline I become."

"It's okay, Freddie." Roger joined us on the couch as Freddie's breaths became rapid. "Just relax. It'll be over before you know it."

"Deep breaths." Brian encouraged. "Keep holding Delilah if that makes you comfortable."

Freddie shut his eyes, clearly in some sort of discomfort. I took his hand earning a grateful purr in return. Roger smiled at me. "He's usually much harder to calm down especially when he changes in front of strangers."

"N-No...stranger...Deaky." Freddie stuttered, suddenly pulling me closer so he could rest his head against my neck. "That's it." I whispered as Freddie purred again. "Whatever happens, I've got you."

"Good job, Deaks!" Brian applauded. "Not a single hiss or scratch. Freddie must really trust you."

"You know he even bit me a handful of times during the change." Roger remarked. "Look how peaceful and cuddly he is with you. It's not fair."

I tried to drown out Freddie's whimpering. I didn't want him to be in pain, but it seemed like there was nothing I could do. His body twitched and convulsed like he was having a seizure. I continued to gently rock him in my arms protectively ignoring his cries of agony.

"You're taking this really well, John." Brian said.

"Bri passed out the first time he saw Freddie change." Roger chuckled. "What a wuss!"

"I thought Fred was having a heart attack. I was preparing to call for an ambulance when out of nowhere..."

It was a blink and you miss it kind of moment. One minute I was holding Freddie, and the next he was gone. The man completely vanished in a split second as Delilah hopped down from the couch. All I saw were Freddie's clothes until a fluffy face popped out from the shirt, a pair of neon green sunglasses falling from his whiskered nose.

"Hello there!" I cooed down at the adorable black cat. Sure this was bizarre, but I didn't see why it was so problematic. Once a month my best friend became a cute fuzz ball. Did that really warrant breaking the poor man's heart by severing ties with him and Queen?

"You're so soft." I complimented Freddie as I pet his thick black coat.

"So this doesn't freak you out?" Roger asked.

"Maybe a little." I admitted. "But he's still our same Freddie. I wish he had told me sooner. All this worrying that I'd abandon him was for nothing. How long have you two known about this?"

"I saw the signs long before I could piece them together." Roger explained. "He would always bond with the stray cats that roamed around Kensington Market. On the days leading up to the full moon, he'd get more easily startled by lights and sounds and he would purr a lot. And during our lunch breaks at the stall he'd pack a can of tuna for himself."

That did sum up Freddie's peculiar behavior these last few days. Now it all made sense of course.

"He spent full moons at his girlfriend Mary's house and I didn't really question it." Roger went on. "Then one day, he went missing. Didn't show up to work and nobody could reach him. Brian and Mary were close because they used to date and Brian was the one who set her up with Freddie."

"We're not so close anymore." Brian clarified. "But Roger told me that Freddie was last seen with Mary, but I knew that couldn't be true because Mary said she was moving to America. I still had the key to her flat from when we used to date, and thankfully she hadn't changed the locks even though she appeared to already have moved out."

_Ding-Dong!_The doorbell interrupted their story. Another adorable little girl in a princess costume stood at the threshold with her glittery candy basket extended. "Twick or tweat!"

"Ah." Roger cooed. "Let me get you your candy, sweetheart."

"You look weally pwetty. Are you a pwincess too?"

Brian and I nearly doubled over in laughter. The look of anger and humiliation on his face was priceless! Freddie busied himself playing with Oscar's tail, which the orange cat kept swishing back and forth as Freddie tried to swat at it with his own black paws. I knew if he weren't a cat, he'd also be howling with laughter. He'd probably say something like "No, darling, he's not a princess, he's a queen! A killer queen at that!"

Roger brashly threw the lollypop into the little girl's basket and slammed the door in her face.

"Roger, that's not nice!" Brian reprimanded. "She's just a little girl."

"Yeah. She called you pretty. You should thank her for the compliment." I snickered.

"Whatever." Roger scoffed. "Now what were we talking about again?"

"Um, we were talking about Freddie's...curse?" I didn't know if it was a curse or if he was born that way. I wasn't sure how else to address the issue. I threw a ball of yarn and watched as Freddie and the other cats gleefully chased it.

"Well, we found Freddie locked in Mary's basement completely naked, and from his condition we could tell he was trapped down there for well over a day." Brian recounted. "Freddie had no choice but to tell us the truth. Mary kept him locked in the basement on full moons because Freddie doesn't trust himself."

"Which is totally ridiculous! Mary had him convinced he was some sort of monster needing to be locked up, but he's really no different from your everyday house cat, completely harmless I tell you!" Roger cried.

"It wasn't just Mary. Freddie's own parents caged him on full moons, and when they sent him away to boarding school, they gave specific instructions for the administrators there to do the same. It's horrible really. Poor Freddie thinks he really is some sort of beast." Brian shook his head.

"It didn't help that Mary thought she could love him and leave him to die. She left for America the morning after the full moon without saying goodbye and didn't even bother to unlock the door of the basement so Freddie could get out. That was how we found him." Roger explained.

I felt sick to my stomach. Why would everyone be so cruel to Freddie? Even in his cat form, he was nothing short of adorable. One look into those big round eyes would melt your heart with cuteness. It really wasn't fair that Freddie had to go through all this trauma and the band suffered too because up until me they couldn't find a bassist willing to stay. I'd never leave though, not unless one of us died. I'd stay with Queen forever.

"With Mary out of the picture, Freddie asked us to take care of him on full moons." Brian continued. "He requested that we go to the pet store and buy a cage--"

"--And we said hell no!" Roger interrupted. "No best mate of mine is getting locked up and treated like a monster."

All I saw was a fluffy black cat, nothing even close to a monster. Well perhaps a cuddle monster but that didn't count. How could people be so ignorant? At least Freddie finally found kindness from Brian and Roger.

"Thank you for taking care of him. He deserves that. I'm glad he found a loving family with you two." I said.

"You mean with the three of us. You're part of this family too." Brian said.

"Yes." Roger agreed. "It's about damn time we found someone other than Brimi who's a compassionate person and great at guitar. Normally I'd say it's a bad thing to have anything in common with Brian, but let's just make this the exception."

Brian rolled his eyes. "At least I'm not in love with my car."

"You leave my car out of this!"

Normally Freddie would intervene and stop them from fighting. However, the frontman appeared to be preoccupied licking his paws clean. Thankfully, the doorbell offered a distraction.

We were greeted by a little boy dressed up as Spiderman. He peered inside and glanced around the flat curiously as Roger got the candy. "You have a lot of kitty-cats." The boy noted. "One, two, three, four. Four kitty-cats!"

"Good counting!" I applauded.

Roger scratched his head in confusion. "But we only have three cats. Delilah, Lily, and Oscar, and...Oh yeah."

"You forgot about our most special cat of all." Brian said.

"Can I pet the kitty-cats?" The boy asked.

We all glanced down at Freddie, but like Roger said, he was no different than any other cat. So there was no reason to worry. I remembered how sweet Freddie was to the princess trick or treater from earlier. He was great with kids.

"You know what," Brian decided, "I don't see why you can't. Go ahead, Spiderman."

Roger allowed the boy to step inside so he could get a better look at the cats. I supervised while Brian got the candy. "They really like the ball of yarn." I said. I demonstrated by tossing it again. The boy giggled as we watched the cats ran after the yarn and attempted to unravel it.

"What flavor lollypop do you want, strawberry, blueberry or grape?" Brian asked.

"All of them."The boy said as he pet Oscar. "Kitty!" He proclaimed and tossed the yarn ball in Lily's direction. She and Freddie fought over the yarn. Oscar humphed in discomfort as the boy continued to stroke his fur. "Careful!" I warned. "I think you're being a bit too rough."

Freddie looked up from the yarn ball, releasing the strands from his paws. Lily continued to play as normal.

The boy went onto to pet Delilah, but I could see the mischievous smirk beneath his Spiderman mask. Before I could say anything, he tugged at Delilah's whiskers making the cat whimper. In a flash, Freddie pounced, hissing angrily. He used his sharp claws to tear through the Spiderman mask, thankfully not breaking any skin. I pulled Freddie away, shushing him until his hissing gave way to purrs and his aggression was gone.

"I'm so sorry!" Roger exclaimed. "Are you hurt?"

The boy shook his head. "Kitty is funny. He tried to take my Spiderman mask."

"Freddie is very protective of the other cats." I said.

"I'm glad you didn't get hurt." Brian said. "But this should be a lesson. You shouldn't be rough with animals. They're living creatures with thoughts and feelings just like you. How would you feel if someone pulled your hair like you tugged at Delilah's whiskers?"

With that same mischievous grin, the boy looked up at Brian.He reached up, grabbing a fistful of curls and yanked. "Ow!" Brian managed to break free from the boy's grip with his hair intact.

"Hey!" Roger scolded. "I'm the only one allowed to damage Brian's hair."

"No! No one is allowed to do that, not even you Roger!"

I gave the boy his lollipop and sent him on his way before things could escalate any further.

Freddie presented me with a torn piece of cloth from the Spiderman maskdropping it at my feet and meowing proudly. I laughed and pet his head.

"I'm glad you stood up for Delilah and Oscar, but it's not nice to attack children like that. Two wrongs don't make a right." I spoke to him in a baby voice like I would a real cat. Freddie's ears perked up as I addressed him but I could tell he didn't understand a word coming out of my mouth.

"We've tried communicating with him in his cat form." Brian said.

"But we never get very far beyond basic words and phrases like dinner time and good boy." Roger said.

How those two could go from throwing casual insults at each other to literally finishing each other's sentences was beyond me.

Freddie and the other cats looked up when Roger said "dinner time", Oscar licked his lips and Delilah mewled for her food.

"No, no! You've already had your dinner. If you're good you can have treats and snacks later." I got their attention off of food by throwing the yarn ball again.

"So does Freddie remember any of this when he's back to normal?" I wondered.

"Certain things may trigger his memories here or there." Roger explained.

"So if he sees this torn Spiderman mask for example, he may remember the boy and that unfortunately hair tanking and whisker tug." Brian elaborated. "But for the most part unless provoked, Fred doesn't remember much."

"I think it's a good thing he doesn't. Remember how traumatized he was that time when he woke up and coughed up a dead mouse." Roger recalled. "There's certain things about being a cat that aren't very appealing even to cat lovers like him."

"Freddie's a good boy most of the time. Roger's usually more destructive than him." Brian quipped. "This incident is an outlier and the boy is partially to blame for roughhousing Delilah and Oscar."

"Do you hear that, Freddie? Brian thinks you're a good boy!"

I turned to see Freddie cuddled against Delilah, his tail protectively pressed atop her back. It must have been very scary having her whiskers pulled, but Delilah thankfully had someone there for her who would make it all better.

The rest of the night was uneventful.More trick or treaters arrived. We ate candy and laughed about nothing in particular. Soon, I found myself snuggled on the couch sandwiched between Brian and Roger watching a scary movie. Freddie eventually made his way up onto my lap, and we both fell asleep.

*******

My eyes fluttered open when I felt some movement on my lab. Freddie was twitching. He mewled in pain, and my heart broke. I wrapped my arms around him, fighting his convulsions and ignoring the scratches he gave me.

"Shh. Shh. Fred, sweetheart, it's alright. You'll be okay. As soon as you know it you'll be back to human."

Brian stirred next to me. "J-John? You stayed the night!"

"I passed out on the couch. Is that alright?" I never did receive formal permission to sleep here tonight.

"That's better than alright, mate! Rog and I thought you were going to disappear in the middle of the night and never come back."

"What?" It took me a moment to realize he meant I'd flee because of Freddie. I thought we settled this last night. I wasn't going anywhere.

Speaking of Freddie, he was growing more restless in my arms, his agonized meows intensified. It was loud enough to wake Roger. "W-What's going on?...Oh good! I was praying you'd still be here, Deaky."

"I love this band and you three as much as you love cars, Roger. I'd never ever dream of leaving you over something minuscule that poor Freddie has no control over. We're a family. We'd never abandon each other over frivolous stuff like that."

"I think you're underestimating my love of cars."

"And I think you're underestimating Freddie's curse. It's not that minuscule. But the sentiment is appreciated. We love you too, Deaky!" Brian said.

Suddenly, there was no longer a cute black cat on my lap, but rather a naked man on top of me. Freddie opened his eyes, meeting mine, and I felt myself blush. "Well this is awkward." I murmured.

"Darling, you stayed!" Freddie cooed.

"Yeah. You missed his whole heartfelt speech on family, but I believe we've finally found our bassist." Roger said. "Deaky still loves you."

"Oh that's splendid!" The look of relief and joy that washes over Freddie's face made my morning. "Thank you for being so understanding, John. Most people aren't."

"Of course, Freddie. Now um, if you don't mind...um."

"Oh!" Freddie gasped, rolling off of me, and covering his kibbles and bits. "Goodness, darling. I'm so so sorry. Let me get some clothes on and then I owe you a proper explanation."

"I'll make us some coffee." Brian offered.

***

As we munched on our breakfast of coffee, toast (mine with cheesy goodness melted on top of course), and Halloween candy, Freddie began to open up.

"When they found out they were expecting, my parents prayed to Ahurani, the Zoroastrian water goddess who brings people luck, prosperity, and fertility. Mama says before I was born, she had a vivid dream that she was in a serene pool of water surrounded by the most beautiful colorful fish. But then this black cat appeared in the water causing a ripple in the pond, and he ate all the fish. When I was born cursed like this, my parents believed that their prayers to the water goddess were intercepted by a dark spirit."

I wasn't well versed in the teachings of Zoroastrianism. Being a Deacon you can probably guess what religion I ascribed to. Still I was inclined to ask. "How did they know for sure?"

"No one really knows for sure, darling, but when you live in a small religious village, word travels fast. I grew up living like a pariah. Everyone in our village in Zanzibar knew me as the cursed child and wanted nothing to do with me. I'm convinced Mama and Papa had my sister Kashmira only to prove to our neighbors that _they_ weren't the cursed ones. Of course she turned out normal proving everyone right. I was the problem. I was outcasted in boarding school as well because everyone knew about my curse. I didn't really catch a break until we moved to London. Still, some of our friends and relatives who made it out with us blamed me for the Zanzibar Revolution that forced us to flee our home and left thousands of people dead."

"That's horrible!" I cried. "How dare they!"

"I tried to be a good Zoroastrian boy like my Papa always taught me, but I was just so drawn to rock and roll. Papa thinks it's the dark spirits of my curse calling to me, but I don't care. I'm going to live my life the way I see fit. Besides Kashmira theorizes that it's not a curse after all but a gift from Bamya, the goddess of twilight who helps the sun god bring about day and light. Bamya helps us protect ourselves from evil spirits with light. According to Kash, the goddess gifted me with night vision as a cat, and she always returns me back to normal as soon as the sun rises. Bless my baby sister, she spent her life and is still trying to convince our friends and family that her theory is correct and I shouldn't be ostracized."

"You should listen to Kashmira." I said. "I think she's onto something."

"All I know is that I'm blessed with a loving family outside of blood, and I'm looking right at them." Freddie said. "Thank you, Deaky, for joining us and accepting me. For a while I thought I was going to have to learn how to play bass for us, but then you came along and now Queen is finally complete. And Bri, Roger, thank you as well for showing me that people can be nice. I'm so grateful to have...Ack!" Freddie's wholesome and genuine speech was interrupted as he coughed up a hairball. It didn't matter though, we were still all sniffling and holding back tears, touched by Freddie's words.

"Excuse me, darlings!" He laughed. "I think that's a sign to put an end to all this sap and get on with the music. I have this brilliant new song I want to work on today. It's called Liar..."

And then things were back to normal, but Freddie seemed to be in an extra chirpy mood. He wasn't even brought down by Brian and Roger fighting.

In fact, Brian was so distracted by Roger's antics that he missed his cue for "all day long" and I jumped in and sang it for him. It just felt like the natural thing to do even though I knew I sounded horrible in comparison to Brian's sweet soft voice, Freddie's rich powerful voice, and Roger's unique raspy voice.

"Deaky, darling, you told us you didn't sing. Why are you hiding such a lovely voice from us?"

"You're just saying that to make me feel good." I murmured.

"No I'm not. I would never lie to you. I think your voice is absolutely perfect for that mini solo. I want you to sing it with me each and every time we perform. We can share the microphone."

"I think you mean to say that his voice is purrrfect." Roger laughed.

"Roger, dear, you have 39 seconds to apologize for that joke before I unleash my claws on you."

"Come on it's funny!" The drummer insisted.

Freddie hissed and curled his hand, swatting it like a paw. But he couldn't keep a straight face for long. "I'm just messing with you. I may have my insecurities about it but I'm not that sensitive."

"Well now that the cat's out of the bag. You might as well prepare yourself for nine lifetimes worth of puns because there's a lot more where that came from."

"This band is bonkers!" Brian exhaled.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't have it any other way." I declared.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Any good? I just love writing about cat!Freddie and I'm not sure why but it certainly is fun. Hopefully you liked it. Again I'm sorry if I got the stuff about Zoroastrianism wrong, but I tried my best to incorporate it into the story. Happy Halloween everyone! 🎃


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